The present invention relates to a closed type thrust dynamic pressure bearing.
There has been available hitherto a closed type thrust dynamic pressure bearing which comprises a rotating member consisting of a shaft body and a flange provided at one end of the shaft body, and a housing for housing the flange of the rotating member in a closed state, where dynamic pressure generating grooves are formed at both axial end faces of the flange.
In this conventional closed type thrust dynamic pressure bearing, when the rotating member is installed vertically, the rotating member lowers due to gravity before activation so that the lower end face of the flange and the receiving surface of the housing opposite to the lower end face of the flange are brought into a contact state or into a state that only an extremely thin membrane of working fluid is present therebetween. In this state, with the rotating member activated, for example, V-shaped dynamic pressure generating grooves try to pull in the working fluid toward a radial center of these grooves simultaneously in both axial end faces of the flange. However, because the housing has the flange housed therein in a closed state, a negative pressure is generated between the upper end face of the flange and the housing, making it impossible to introduce the working fluid sufficiently to a place, particularly a radially inner portion, between the receiving surface of the housing and the lower end face of the flange where only a small amount of working fluid is present originally. Therefore, at the time of activation of the rotating member, there will arise a state that the working fluid is insufficient between the lower end face of the flange and the receiving surface. As a result, enough dynamic pressure for bearing the flange cannot he generated, disabling the thrust dynamic pressure bearing from fulfilling the function as a thrust dynamic pressure bearing, and damaging the end face of the flange.